Impact of health education on health-related quality of life among elderly persons : results from a community-based intervention study in rural Bangladesh

• This study examines the change in health-related quality oflife (HRQoL) among (60 years) elderly persons as a result ofhealth education intervention. A community-based interventionstudy was performed in eight randomly selected villages (Intervention:n = 4; Control: n = 4) in rural Bangladesh. A total of 1135elderly persons was selected for this study. The analyses include839 participants (Intervention: n = 425; Control: n = 414) whoparticipated in both baseline and post-intervention surveys.Participants in the intervention area were further stratifiedinto compliant (n = 315) and non-compliant (n = 110) groupsbased on the reported compliance to the intervention activities.The intervention includes, for example, physical activity, adviceon healthy food intake and other aspects of management. To createan enabling environment, social awareness was provided by meansof information about the contribution of and challenges facedby elderly persons at home and the community, including informationabout elderly persons' health and health care. The interventionactivities were provided to the elderly persons, caregivers,household members and community people for 15 months. The HRQoLwas assessed using a multi-dimensional generic instrument designedfor elderly persons. Multivariate analyses revealed that inthe non-compliant group the probabilities of increased scoreswere less likely in overall HRQoL (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32–0.82).Among the Control group, increased scores were less likely inthe physical (OR 73, 95% CI 0.54–0.99), social (OR 0.37,95% CI 0.27–0.50), spiritual (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.34–0.94),environment (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.26–0.49) dimensions andoverall HRQoL (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32–0.59) (adjusted forage, sex, literacy, marital status and economic status). Thisstudy concludes that provision of community-based health educationintervention might be a potential public health initiative toenhance the HRQoL in old age.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

health-related quality of life

elderly

health education

Bangladesh

rural

Psychology

Psykologi

Psychology

psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)